A 15-game win streak over their AFC East rivals is on the line for the Patriots on Sunday.

The New England Patriots have nearly made it to the finish line of their worst season in three decades. They will end the year against a club who also was quite optimistic heading into 2023, but crashed hard and will also watch the playoffs from at home: the 6-10 New York Jets.

The Jets were considered a dark-horse candidate to compete for the AFC Championship this season after acquiring star quarterback Aaron Rodgers via trade from the Green Bay Packers. With Rodgers’ season coming to an end on his very first series due to a torn Achilles, however, the team was back to square one offensively — and the results have looked the part.

While averaging slightly more points than the Patriots over the course of the season, the Jets have not been able to overcome starting the likes of Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle at quarterback. And with Siemian in line to serve as QB1 again this week, it is no surprise that New England is actually seen as the favorite heading into the game: per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Patriots are currently favored by 1.5 points.

Will they live up to their status and keep their 15-game winning streak over the Jets alive on Sunday? We shall see. For now, let’s take a closer look at New England’s Week 18 opponent: its players, coaches, key stats, injuries, and more.

Jets key stats

Looking at their statistics, the Jets look very similar to the Patriots. Their offense is very bad, their defense is good, and their record is not enough to compete for a playoff spot — in part due to turnover issues.

As a result of this mix, New York and New England move in the same spheres of production on both sides of the ball.

• Record: 6-10 (3rd AFC East)
• Offense: 15.7 points/game (29th), 269.5 yards/game (31st), -0.230 EPA/play (32nd)
• Defense: 22.0 points/game (18th), 303.1 yards/game (5th), -0.085 EPA/play (3rd)
• Scoring differential: -101 (27th)
• Turnover differential: -7 (t-23rd)

The main difference between the Patriots and the Jets from a season-long perspective, is that New York started better into its fourth-place schedule than the Patriots did into its third-place schedule. Since the calendar turned to November, though, both clubs have won just two games.

That will change on Sunday, but knowing those two teams a low-scoring tie also might be a realistic — and fitting — outcome.

Jets 53-man roster

(Note: Roster up-to-date as of Wednesday, 10 a.m. ET; *indicates projected starter)

Quarterback (4): Aaron Rodgers (8), Zach Wilson (2), Trevor Siemian* (14), Brett Rypien (15)

Running back (2): Breece Hall* (20), Israel Abanikanda (25)

Wide receiver (6): Garrett Wilson* (17), Allen Lazard* (10), Xavier Gipson* (82), Jason Bronlee (16), Irvin Charles (19), Randall Cobb (18)

Tight end (4): Tyler Conklin* (83), Jeremy Ruckert (89), Kenny Yeboah (88), Zack Kuntz (81)

Offensive tackle (5): Mekhi Becton* (77 | LT), Carter Warren* (67 | RT), Max Mitchell (61), Billy Turner (54), Austin Deculus (64)

Interior offensive line (4): Laken Tomlinson* (78 | LG), Joe Tippmann* (66 | C), Jake Hanson* (62 | RG), Xavier Newman-Johnson (65)

Interior defensive line (4): Quinnen Williams* (95), Solomon Thomas* (94), Micheal Clemons (72), Jalyn Holmes (97)

Defensive edge (5): Jermaine Johnson II* (11), John Franklin-Myers* (91), Bryce Huff (47), Will McDonald IV (99), Carl Lawson (58)

Off-the-ball linebacker (5): C.J. Mosley* (57), Quincy Williams* (56), Jamien Sherwood (44), Samuel Eguavoen (52), Chazz Surratt (55)

Cornerback (6): Sauce Gardner* (1), D.J. Reed* (4), Michael Carter II* (30), Brandin Echols (26), Bryce Hall (37), Justin Hardee (34)

Safety (4): Jordan Whitehead* (3), Tony Adams* (22), Ashtyn Davis (21), Jarrick Bernard-Converse (29)

Specialists (3): Greg Zuerlein (9 | K), Thomas Morstead (5 | P | H), Thomas Hennessy (42 | LS)

The Jets’ Achilles heel — no pun intended — is their quarterback position. After losing Aaron Rodgers, who occupies a spot on the 53-man team despite not being ready to play, they had to rely on former first-round draft pick Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian and the since-released Tim Boyle to handle QB duties. On Sunday, Siemian will start his third game as a Jet with both Rodgers and Wilson unavailable.

Siemian does have a pair of blue-chip players around him. Wideout Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall are a legitimate 1-2 combination and have both already crossed the 1,000-scrimmage-yard barrier this season.

The rest of the Jets’ offensive roster, however, lacks legitimate star power and playmaking ability — something that cannot be said about the Jets’ defense.

As the rankings above show, the unit is legitimate and has top-notch talent on all three levels. Up front, the starting defensive line of Jermaine Johnson II, Quinnen Williams, Solomon Thomas and John Franklin-Myers is as good as any in the league, with the rotational depth behind them also strong — so much so that first-round rookie Will McDonald is playing only a minimal role.

C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams, meanwhile, are a potent duo at linebacker, with Sauce Gardner already one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in his second season in the league. Long story short, this group is quite talented.

Jets reserves

Practice squad (15): FB Nick Bawden (48), CB Anthony Brown (32), S Trey Dean (38), OT Obinna Eze (68), OL Chris Glaser (63), CB Tae Hayes (27), DT Bruce Hector (98), ED Manny Jones (93), LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball (41), WR Lance McCutcheon (85), RB Jacques Patrick (31), K Austin Seibert (15), DT Marquiss Spencer (51), WR Malik Taylor (86), RB Xazavian Valladay (35)

Practice squad injury (2): DT Tanzel Smart, DT Perrion Winfrey

Injured reserve (11): DE Bradlee Anae, LB Zaire Barnes, OT Duane Brown, S Chuck Clark, DT Quinton Jefferson, C Connor McGovern, ED Ifeadi Odenigbo, OL Wes Schweitzer, TE C.J. Uzomah, G Alijah Vera-Tucker, DT Al Woods

Besides the aforementioned Aaron Rodgers (and to a lesser degree Zach Wilson), the Jets are missing several other starting-caliber players due to injury. Offensive linemen Duane Brown, Connor McGovern and Alijah Vera-Tucker all started several games this year, as did tight end C.J. Uzomah and defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson. The same also might have been true for safety Chuck Clark, but he tore is ACL back in the spring.

Jets coaching staff

Head coach: Robert Saleh

Coordinators: Nathaniel Hackett (OC), Jeff Ulbrich (DC), Brant Boyer (ST)

Offensive assistants: Todd Downing (Passing game coordinator), Rob Calabrese (QB), Taylor Embree (RB), Zach Azzanni (WR), Ron Middleton (TE), Keith Carter (OL/Run game coordinator), Ben Wilkerson (OL assistant), Pat Bastien (Assistant), Mack Brown (Assistant), Billy VandeMerkt (Assistant), Junior Taylor (Assistant)

Defensive assistants: Aaron Whitecotton (DL), Shaq Wilson (DL assistant), Mike Rutenberg (LB), Tony Oden (CB/Senior defensive assistant), Marquand Manuel (DB/S), Ricky Manning Jr. (Assistant), Nathaniel Willingham (Assistant)

Special teams assistants: Michael Ghobrial (Assistant), Leon Washington (Assistant)

Now in his third year as head coach, Robert Saleh has yet to lead the Jets to the promised land: he has been unable to end the NFL’s longest playoff drought, and will extend it to 13 seasons this year. In total, he is carrying a 17-33 record (.340) into this week’s game against the Patriots.

While his record would suggest he is on thin ice, Jets owner Woody Johnson recently announced that both Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas will be back with the team in 2024. The hope is that a rehabilitated Aaron Rodgers will finally help them get over the hump.